BBC internal inquiry exonerates executives

A BBC internal inquiry has exonerated news executives of mismanagement and laid blame for the dossier debacle, which resulted in the resignations of Chairman Gavyn Davies and Director General Greg Dyke, on a failure to follow an agreed "core script" by former Today correspondent Andrew Gilligan.

The BBC statement, which discussed two points of "clarification" arising from the process, read: “In relation to the broadcast on the Today programme, on May 29 2003, we are satisfied that a core script was properly prepared and cleared in line with normal production practices in place at the time, but was then not followed by Andrew Gilligan.

"We consider that the BBC's evidence to the Hutton Inquiry could have been clearer in this respect.”

The statement went on: “During the Hutton Inquiry much attention was drawn to an email sent by the editor of the Today programme, Kevin Marsh, to the Head of Radio News, Stephen Mitchell, on June 27 2003. Lord Hutton concluded that this email should have been referred to their senior colleagues and that the fact that it was not constituted a flaw in the BBC's management system.

“The impression given by the BBC's evidence was that this e-mail did not reflect the views of senior News management. The process has concluded that in fact it did reflect their views and that the views in question had been the subject of recent discussion, so there was no need for the email to be referred up.

“The implied criticism of Stephen Mitchell and Kevin Marsh in these aspects was in our view unjustified.”

However, Mr Gilligan rejected claims that he had not followed normal production practice, saying that if he had done so then it would have been "mentioned at the time".

Director of BBC People Stephen Dando and Director of Policy Caroline Thomson reached their decisions in a BBC disciplinary process, which they have been leading in the wake of the Hutton Report.

The process followed the BBC's procedures throughout and the decisions, as they relate to individuals, will remain.

As is normal corporation practice these are entirely confidential between the BBC and those concerned, though the BBC confirmed that no dismissals were involved.

The BBC is conducting a separate process to identify the editorial lessons from these events is currently being conducted by another team under the chairmanship of Ronald Neil.

BBC acting Director-General Mark Byford is expected to present the conclusions from the Neil Report to the Board of Governors in June.

(GB)